The latest auto news, reviews, prices, product and vehicle releases. Oct
9th
Stay connected Subscribe to our RSS feed
It's good to be alive; after all, the alternative sucks. Not that I would know, but I do know that if I were dead I would not have spent a wonderful week at the wheel of a 2012 Mazda MX-5.
What can I say about the MX-5 that hasn't already been said 7 bazillion times? How about: It's fat, ugly, huge, bloated, boring, uninspiring, and makes me want to throw my driving license away for good.
There you have it: A reverse review. I'm done. I'm off to drive the 2012 Mazda MX-5...
In all seriousness, the Mazda MX-5 (or Miata) is one of the greatest drives a mortal will ever experience. However, I'm becoming impatient with Mazda.
The “new” SV
Their latest iteration of the MX-5 is called the SV which is nothing more than a special edition add-on package that brings little or nothing to the car itself.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV is a base $29,145 GX that's been given heated leather seating, alloy pedals, 17” gun-metal wheels, auto A/C and a Brilliant Black power retractable hard-top (PRHT). At $33,995, it's not a bad deal but if you ask me, the money is spent on the wrong stuff.
The SV is a “show car” version of the MX-5, but it maintains all of the important ingredients that make the Miata great. The SV still sports the same nimble and agile chassis, responsive and quick steering, and peppy little engine.
It was enough power
The normally aspirated 2.0L 4-cylinder generates 167 hp and 140 lb-ft. On paper, these numbers are far from impressive and while they do the job, I want more. I want a MAZDASPEED MX-5! I want the 2013 “special edition” MX-5 to have a turbocharged SKYACTIV 2.0L that pumps out no less than 225 hp!
Back to the here and now: The combination of the 2.0L and the fabulously excellent 6-speed manual gearbox propel the 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV to 100 km/h in roughly 7.5 seconds. See!? That's way too slow for such a great car! I need a new Miata that'll cover the tonne in 5.8 seconds! Not one-tenth more!
Sorry.
Nimble be thy name
Power is nothing without control (thank you, Pirelli). This is where the MX-5 could school most other so-called sports cars. The light-weight and rigid structure of the car is never overwhelmed by the power which is what makes the 2012 Mazda MX-5 so tractable.
The 4-wheel disc brakes, although modest in size, are never strained. Pedal feel is good and easy to modulate. Steering, as I've noted, is direct and provides turn-in that was second to none in its price range (see 2013 Scion FR-S). The way all of the car's mechanicals come together make the driver's job impossibly rewarding.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5's ride is good -- well, was good. The SV's basic suspension setup is too soft for any type of real performance driving. I found out firsthand during our recently completed compact performance car comparo 2.0 that the car handles with finesse, however, it's that level of on-the-road comfort that makes for a car that “suffers” from exaggerated weight transfers and body roll on the track. Let's be clear: exaggerated for an MX-5, not for a 2001 Buick Century.
MAZDASPEED?
But, it's no longer enough. The $35,940 2012 Mazda MX-5 GS is, IMO, the most pertinent version of the present MX-5. It makes due without leather and replaces it with real goodies such as a Sport suspension with Bilstein shocks, a limited-slip differential and a strut tower bar.
If Mazda's reading this, I'd strongly suggest dropping the PRHT, replacing it with the GX's manual Z-Type vinyl drop-top, work on getting my SKYACTIV turbo engine under the bonnet, and keep the price at no more than $40k. Thanks for that.
Enough rambling...
The reality here is that the 2012 Mazda MX-5 is a fantastic runabout that guarantees kilometer upon kilometer of pure, unadulterated pleasure. I may have said this in the past, but the MX-5 could be considered a form of therapy to help depression.
MAZDASPEED... once more... I won't stop... Mazda might as well bring it!
The other reality is that the current 3rd generation of the best selling drop-top in history is getting on in age, having been introduced in 2006. As with the 2nd gen, Mazda ended it off with a bang by introducing both a 2004 and 2005 MAZDASPEED edition which was, to this day, the absolute pinnacle of the Miata/MX-5 lines. It's at, or near, the top of my “Wanted at all cost” list of cars to buy one day.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV is fun and a breath of fresh air with the top down, but I'm waiting and expecting more from Mazda.
We're here and we're hungry! 2013 MAZDASPEED MX-5 anyone? I thought so.
 |
What can I say about the MX-5 that hasn't already been said 7 bazillion times? How about: It's fat, ugly, huge, bloated, boring, uninspiring, and makes me want to throw my driving license away for good.
There you have it: A reverse review. I'm done. I'm off to drive the 2012 Mazda MX-5...
In all seriousness, the Mazda MX-5 (or Miata) is one of the greatest drives a mortal will ever experience. However, I'm becoming impatient with Mazda.
The “new” SV
Their latest iteration of the MX-5 is called the SV which is nothing more than a special edition add-on package that brings little or nothing to the car itself.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV is a base $29,145 GX that's been given heated leather seating, alloy pedals, 17” gun-metal wheels, auto A/C and a Brilliant Black power retractable hard-top (PRHT). At $33,995, it's not a bad deal but if you ask me, the money is spent on the wrong stuff.
The SV is a “show car” version of the MX-5, but it maintains all of the important ingredients that make the Miata great. The SV still sports the same nimble and agile chassis, responsive and quick steering, and peppy little engine.
 |
| Their latest iteration of the MX-5 is called the SV which is nothing more than a special edition add-on package that brings little or nothing to the car itself. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
It was enough power
The normally aspirated 2.0L 4-cylinder generates 167 hp and 140 lb-ft. On paper, these numbers are far from impressive and while they do the job, I want more. I want a MAZDASPEED MX-5! I want the 2013 “special edition” MX-5 to have a turbocharged SKYACTIV 2.0L that pumps out no less than 225 hp!
Back to the here and now: The combination of the 2.0L and the fabulously excellent 6-speed manual gearbox propel the 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV to 100 km/h in roughly 7.5 seconds. See!? That's way too slow for such a great car! I need a new Miata that'll cover the tonne in 5.8 seconds! Not one-tenth more!
Sorry.
 |
| The normally aspirated 2.0L 4-cylinder generates 167 hp and 140 lb-ft. (Sébastien D'Amour) |
Nimble be thy name
Power is nothing without control (thank you, Pirelli). This is where the MX-5 could school most other so-called sports cars. The light-weight and rigid structure of the car is never overwhelmed by the power which is what makes the 2012 Mazda MX-5 so tractable.
The 4-wheel disc brakes, although modest in size, are never strained. Pedal feel is good and easy to modulate. Steering, as I've noted, is direct and provides turn-in that was second to none in its price range (see 2013 Scion FR-S). The way all of the car's mechanicals come together make the driver's job impossibly rewarding.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5's ride is good -- well, was good. The SV's basic suspension setup is too soft for any type of real performance driving. I found out firsthand during our recently completed compact performance car comparo 2.0 that the car handles with finesse, however, it's that level of on-the-road comfort that makes for a car that “suffers” from exaggerated weight transfers and body roll on the track. Let's be clear: exaggerated for an MX-5, not for a 2001 Buick Century.
 |
| The 4-wheel disc brakes, although modest in size, are never strained. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
MAZDASPEED?
But, it's no longer enough. The $35,940 2012 Mazda MX-5 GS is, IMO, the most pertinent version of the present MX-5. It makes due without leather and replaces it with real goodies such as a Sport suspension with Bilstein shocks, a limited-slip differential and a strut tower bar.
If Mazda's reading this, I'd strongly suggest dropping the PRHT, replacing it with the GX's manual Z-Type vinyl drop-top, work on getting my SKYACTIV turbo engine under the bonnet, and keep the price at no more than $40k. Thanks for that.
Enough rambling...
The reality here is that the 2012 Mazda MX-5 is a fantastic runabout that guarantees kilometer upon kilometer of pure, unadulterated pleasure. I may have said this in the past, but the MX-5 could be considered a form of therapy to help depression.
 |
| The SV is a “show car” version of the MX-5, but it maintains all of the important ingredients that make the Miata great. (Photo: Sébastien D'Amour) |
MAZDASPEED... once more... I won't stop... Mazda might as well bring it!
The other reality is that the current 3rd generation of the best selling drop-top in history is getting on in age, having been introduced in 2006. As with the 2nd gen, Mazda ended it off with a bang by introducing both a 2004 and 2005 MAZDASPEED edition which was, to this day, the absolute pinnacle of the Miata/MX-5 lines. It's at, or near, the top of my “Wanted at all cost” list of cars to buy one day.
The 2012 Mazda MX-5 SV is fun and a breath of fresh air with the top down, but I'm waiting and expecting more from Mazda.
We're here and we're hungry! 2013 MAZDASPEED MX-5 anyone? I thought so.